Bed assembly



Aug. 15, 1967 R. FOSTER 3,335,432

BED AS SEMBLY Filed May 31, 1966 zm/zlgm j? Z Z? frzjerf 11w NTOR.

3,335,432 BED ASSEMBLY Robert Foster, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lear Siegler, Inc., Santa Monica, Calif, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 554,940 8 Claims. (Cl. 72)

This invention relates to a bed assembly and, more specifically, to a bed assembly having a headboard means which may be selectively moved to an inclined position for forming a backrest.

Frequently, invalids, hospital patients or other bedridden individuals desire to sit up or to sit with their backs in an inclined position while remaining in bed for eating, reading, watching television, etc. Special hospital beds are available which include various complex mechanisms, cranks, etc., and may be adjusted to a position for supporting an individual in a sitting or partially sitting position. However, beds of the type heretofore utilized which are capable of supporting an individual in a sitting or partially sitting position are quite complex, expensive and frequently difiicult to manipulate.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide a bed assembly of a simplified novel construction which may be easily manipulated to form an inclined backrest.

Another object and feature of this invention is to provide a bed assembly including headboard means which forms an extension for the mattress to be supported by the bed assembly and which extension may be moved to an inclined position for forming at least a portion of a backrest.

A further object and feature of this invention is to provide a bed assembly including headboard means which in the normal position provides a vertical headboard and a horizontal extension of the mattress and which may be moved to an inclined position for forming an inclined backrest.

In general, these and other objects and features of this invention may be attained in a preferred embodiment which includes a main frame adapted for supporting a mattress and including a normally vertically disposed panel and a normally horizontally disposed extension, both of which are juxtaposed to one end of the main frame. A pair of vertical support members are removably attached to one end of the main frame. A pair of links on each side of the bed are each pivotally connected at one end to the support members and are pivotally connected at the other ends to the panel. The extension is disposed on one of the links of each pair horizontally across the end of the bed for forming an extension of the mattress to be supported by the main frame. Thus, the links allow the panel and the extension to move relative to the main frame to an inclined position for forming an inclined backrest.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partially broken away of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the preferred embodiment of the instant invention in a backrest forming position; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a bed assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invention is generally shown at 10.

'nited States Patent 0 The bed assembly 10 includes a main frame, generally indicated at 12, and headboard means, generally shown at 14. The headboard means 14 is attached to one end of the main frame 12 for movement to and from a position forming an inclined backrest, i.e., the position illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The main frame 12 includes a pair of longitudinally extending side rails 16 which are interconnected by the cross rails 18 and supported by the uprights 20. The uprights 20 form legs for the bed and having casters 22 secured to the lower ends thereof.

The headboard means 14 includes a normally vertically disposed panel 24 and a normally horizontally disposed extension 26. There is also included articulation means, generally shown at 28, operatively connecting the panel 24 and the extension 26 to one end of the main frame 12 for allowing the panel 24 and the extension 26 to be selectively moved to an inclined position for forming an inclined backrest.

The articulation means 28 includes a pair of links 30 and 32 disposed on each side of the main frame 12 and at one end of the main frame 12. One end of the links 30 and 32 are pivotally connected at spaced points 34 and 36 to the downwardly extending legs 31 of the panel 24 and the other ends of the links 30 and 32 are operatively connected to the main frame 12 for pivotal movement relative thereto. More specifically, a pair of support members 38 are removably attached to the upright members 20 at one end of the main frame 12. The support members 38 have a pair of studs 40 extending therefrom which are insertable into the apertures 42 of the uprights 20 so that the support members 38 may be disposed at one of various vertical heights relative to the main frame 12. The other end of the links 30 and 32 are pivotally connected to the support members 38 as indicated at 44 and 46.

There is also included stop means comprising a portion 48 of the links 32 of each of the pair of links. Each portion 48 engages the transversely extending flange of one of the respective support members 38 to limit pivotal movement of the links 30 and 32, thus limiting movement of the panel 24 in the vertical position for forming a headboard as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The extension 26 is disposed on the links 32 and has an upper surface which is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the mattress 50, the mattress 50 and the box springs 52 being supported by the main frame 12. Thus, the surface area of the bed assembly 10 is greater than the surface area of the mattress 50 when the panel 24 is in the vertical position and the extension is in a horizontal position. Thus, the extension 26 forms an extension of the mattress 50 to be supported by the main frame 12 when in the posit-ion illustrated in FIGURES l and 3.

It will be noted that both the panel 24 and the extension 26 are padded. The headboard means 14 may be disposed at the end of the bed at which the individual normally places his head so that pillow may be disposed on the extension 26; thus, the extension increases the available surface area of the bed assembly 10.

As pointed out hereinabove, the upper links 32 have a portion 48 which engages the transversely extending flange of the support members 38 to limit movement of the head board means 14 in the position as illustrated in FIGURE 1. A stop means is also provided when the headboard means is in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 because the panel legs 31 and the lower links 32 are in an overcenter position and the lower ends of the panel legs 31 abut the support mebers 38 for forming an inclined backrest. It will be understood, of course, that by changing the lengths and/or the relative disposition of the links 30 and 32, the degree of inclination of the panel 24 and/ or the extension 26 may be varied.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A bed assembly comprising; a main frame, and headboard means attached to a first end of said main frame for movement to and from a position forming an inclined backrest, said headboard means including a panel, and articulation means operatively connecting said panel to said first end of said main frame for allowing said panel to be selectively moved between a vertical position for forming a headboard and said position for forming an inclined backrest, said articulation means including a pair of links disposed on each side of said main frame at said first end thereof, one end of said links being pivotally connected at spaced points to said panel with the other ends of said links being operatively connected to said first end of said main frame for pivotal movement relative thereto.

2. A bed assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main frame includes a pair of upright members at said first end thereof, and a pair of support members attached to said upright members, said other ends of said links being pivotally connected to said support members.

3. A bed assembly as set forth in claim 2 including stop means for limiting movement of said panel in said vertical position for forming a headboard as said panel moves from said position for forming an inclined backrest.

4. A bed assembly as set forth in claim 3 where-in said stop means comprises a portion of one of each of said pair of links for engaging said respective support members to limit pivotal movement of said links.

5. A bed assembly as set forth in claim 3 including an extension disposed on one of each of said pair of links and having a surface substantially coplanar with the upper surface of a mattress to be supported by said main frame whereby the surface area of said bed assembly is greater than the surface area of the mattress when said panel is in said vertical position, said extension being in an inclined backrest position when said panel is in said position for forming an inclined backrest.

6. A bed assembly comprising: a main bed frame adapted to support a mattress, a pair of vertical support members, means for removably attaching said support members to respective opposite sides of a first end of said main frame so that said support members may be attached to said main frame at a plurality of vertical heights, a pair of links pivotally connected at the respective first ends thereof to each of said support members, the pivotal connections of said links of each pair of respective support members being spaced, a panel including a pair of spaced downwardly extending legs, the second ends of each pair of said respective links being pivot-ally connected to one of said legs so that said panel may be moved between a vertical position for forming a headboard and an inclined position for forming a portion of a backrest, stop means limiting pivotal movement of said links in said respective positions, and an extension extending transversely across said fi-rst end of said main frame and attached to a link of each pair for forming an extension of the mattress to be supported by said main frame when said panel is in said vertical position and for forming an inclined backrest with said panel when said panel is in said inclined position.

7. A bed assembly comprising: a main frame for supporting a mattress; a panel normally disposed in a verti cal plane adjacent a first end of said main frame; an extension normally disposed in a horizontal plane adjacent said first end of said main frame for (forming an extension of the mattress to be supported by said main frame; and means operatively interconnecting said panel, said extension, and said main frame for allowing said panel and said extension to move to an inclined position to form a brackrest.

3. A bed assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said panel and said extension are padded.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fischer 574 

1. A BED ASSEMBLY COMPRISING; A MAIN FRAME, AND HEADBOARD MEANS ATTACHED TO A FIRST END OF SAID MAIN FRAME FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FROM A POSITION FORMING AN INCLINED BACKREST, SAID HEADBOARD MEANS INCLUDING A PANEL, AND ARTICULATION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID PANEL TO SAID FIRST END OF SAID MAIN FRAME FOR ALLOWING SAID PANEL TO BE SELECTIVELY MOVED BETWEEN A VERTICAL POSITION FOR FORMING A HEADBOARD AND SAID POSITION FOR FORMING AN INCLINED BACKREST, SAID ARTICULATION MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF LINKS DIPOSED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MAIN FRAME AT SAID FIRST END THEREOF, ONE END OF SAID LINKS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT SPACED POINTS TO SAID PANEL WITH THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID LINKS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST END OF SAID MAIN FRAME FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RALATIVE THERETO. 